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Professor David Phoenix is Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, a position he assumed in July 2025. He previously served as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of London South Bank University and the LSBU Group from 2014 to 2025. A biochemist by training, he earned a BSc in Biochemistry, a PhD and a DSc from the University of Liverpool, along with a BA in Mathematics, an MAEd and an MBA from the Open University. His academic career includes roles at the University of Liverpool, University of Utrecht and the University of Central Lancashire, where he was Inaugural Head of Forensic and Investigative Science and later Dean of Science and Technology. He obtained a chair in Biochemistry in 2000 and has held visiting chairs in Russia, China, Canada and the UK, including at King’s College London and Sichuan University.
Professor Phoenix’s research specializations center on biochemistry, biophysics and molecular engineering, with a focus on the structure-function relationships of amphiphilic biomolecules, peptide-lipid interactions, the function of antibacterial peptides and the biomedical potential of soft matter. He has published widely, including the book Antimicrobial Peptides in 2013, along with research papers, edited collections and monographs. He has contributed to thought leadership on tertiary education, vocational models and skills development. His honors include an OBE awarded in 2010 for services to science and higher education, appointment as Deputy Lieutenant for Greater London in 2015, election as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2023 and Fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Royal Society of Biology, the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and holds additional fellowships and honorary degrees. Professor Phoenix has served on boards including Universities UK, the National Centre for Universities and Business and as Vice Chair of the Science Museum Group, and he has been involved in STEM communication and outreach initiatives.
The Open University spearheads up to £20m funding to drive autonomous tech, engineering, and space innovation across the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor, promising £4.5bn GVA by 2035 and boosting UK higher education.
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